Chrysanthemum plant named Yellow Coqueta

ABSTRACT

A Chrysanthemum plant named Yellow Coqueta particularly characterized by its flat capitulum form; pompon capitulum type; yellow ray floret color, with a dark brown dot in the center of the capitulum; diameter across face of capitulum of 38 to 44 mm when fully opened, when grown as a single stem spray cut mum; photoperiodic flowering response to short days when grown in Salinas, Calif., is 53 to 55 days after start of short days; flowering response in Bogota, Colombia is 70 to 71 days; plant height is 81 to 97 when grown in Salinas with 11 long days prior to start of short days; height is 94 to 112 cm when grown in Bogota with 7 long days prior to start of short days; peduncle length of the first lateral at flowering after removing the apical bud without growth regulator applications is 5 to 15 cm when grown in Salinas, and 10 to 15 cm when grown in Bogota; peduncle length of the fourth lateral at flowering is 10 to 23 days when grown in Salinas, and 15 to 20 cm when grown in Bogota; and excellent tolerance to low night temperatures for bud initiation and flower development.

The present invention comprises a new and distinct cultivar ofChrysanthemum, botanically known as Dendranthema grandiflora, referredto by the cultivar name Yellow Coqueta.

Yellow Coqueta, identified as 0363 (85-880A02), is a product of amutation induction program. The new cultivar was discovered and selectedby Cornelius P. VandenBerg on Jul. 24, 1989, in a controlled environmentin Salinas, Calif., as one flowering plant within a flowering blockestablished as rooted cuttings from stock plants which has been exposedas unrooted cuttings to an X-ray source of 1750 rads in Fort Myers,Fla., on Feb. 9, 1989. The irradiated parent cultivar was the cultivaridentified as Coqueta, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 7,463, anddescribed as a spray cut mum with a flat capitulum form; a pomponcapitulum type; a tricolored capitulum color of white-yellow-brown;diameter across face of capitulum of 40 to 44 mm when fully opened;flowering response period of 53 to 60 days after start of short days inSalinas, Calif., and of 69 to 71 days in Bogota, Colombia; plant heightof 89 to 99 cm when grown in Salinas with 6 to 7 long days prior tostart of short days, and of 97 to 112 cm when grown in Bogota with 7long days prior to start of short days; and excellent tolerance to lownight temperatures for bud initiation and flower development. Thedescription of Coqueta has a wider range of measurements than thedescription of Coqueta in the noted plant patent. This is based on thecontinued flowering trials of Coqueta after writing the application forCoqueta.

The irradiation program resulting in Yellow Coqueta had as its primaryobjective the expansion of color ranges of the parent cultivar Coqueta.The irradiation program comprises irradiating cuttings of the parentcultivar at irradiation levels of 1500, 1750 and 2000 rads. A total of1119 cuttings harvested from a total of 225 irradiated plants wereplanted on May 29, 1989, May 22, 1989 and May 22, 1989, respectively. Ofthese, 6 initial selections were made, which selections were thenrevegetated and reflowered. Four consecutive flowering resulted indiscarding 5 of the original 6 selections on May 11, 1992. After furthertesting in Salinas, Calif., and in Bogota, Colombia, the decision wasmade to introduce the one remaining code as Yellow Coqueta.

The first act of asexual reproduction of Yellow Coqueta was accomplishedwhen vegetative cuttings were taken from the original selection inOctober 1989 in a controlled environment in Salinas, Calif., bytechnicians working under supervision of Cornelis P. VandenBerg.

Horticultural examination of controlled flowerings of successiveplantings has shown that the unique combination of characteristics asherein disclosed for Yellow Coqueta are firmly fixed and are retainedthrough successive generations of asexual reproduction.

Yellow Coqueta has not been observed under all possible environmentalconditions. The phenotype may vary significantly with variations inenvironment such as temperature, light intensity and daylength, without,however, any variance in genotype.

The following observations, measurements and comparisons describe plantsgrown in Salinas, Calif., and in Bogota, Colombia under greenhouseconditions which approximate those generally used in commercialgreenhouse practice. The low night temperature tolerance was determinedin repeated flowerings in Bogota, Colombia.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined tobe basic characteristics for Yellow Coqueta, which, in combination,distinguish this Chrysanthemum as a new and distinct cultivar:

1. Flat capitulum form.

2. Pompon capitulum type.

3. Yellow ray floret color, with a dark brown dot in the center of thecapitulum.

4. Diameter across face of capitulum of 38 to 44 mm when fully opened,when grown as a single stem spray cut mum.

5. Photoperiodic flowering response to short days when grown in Salinas,Calif., is 53 to 55 days after start of short days. Flowering responsein Bogota, Colombia is 70 to 71 days.

6. Plant height is 81 to 97 cm when grown in Salinas with 11 long daysprior to start of short days; height is 94 to 112 cm when grown inBogota with 7 long days prior to start of short days.

7. Peduncle length of the first lateral at flowering after removing theapical bud without grown regulator applications is 5 to 15 cm when grownin Salinas, and 10 to 15 cm when grown in Bogota. Peduncle length of thefourth lateral at flowering is 10 to 23 cm when grown in Salinas, and 15to 20 cm when grown in Bogota.

8. Excellent tolerance to night temperatures as low as 5°-19° C. for budinitiation and flower development.

The accompanying photographic drawing is a side view of a single stemcut spray mum of Yellow Coqueta, with the colors being as nearly true aspossible with illustrations of this type.

Of the commercial cultivars known to the inventor, the most similar incomparison to Yellow Coqueta is the parent cultivar Coqueta. All traitsof Yellow Coqueta are similar to those of Coqueta, except for the rayfloret color. Coqueta has a tricolored capitulum color ofwhite-yellow-brown. In several flowering trials in Bogota Yellow Coquetahas been 3 to 5 cm shorter than Coqueta.

In the following description color references are made to The RoyalHorticultural Society Colour Chart. The color values were determined onplant material grown as a single stem spray cut mum in Salinas, Calif.,on Jun. 30, 1992.

Classification:

Botanical.--Dendranthema grandiflora cv Yellow Coqueta.

Commercial.--Flat pompon cut spray mum.

INFLORESCENCE

A. Capitulum:

Form.--Flat.

Type.--Pompon.

Diameter across face.--38 to 44 mm when fully opened.

B. Corolla of ray florets:

Color (general tonality from a distance of three meters).--with a darkbrown dot in the center of the capitulum.

Color (upper surface).--12A. Brown dot closets to 175B.

Color (under surface).--12B.

Shape of petals.--Straight, cross-section concave.

C. Corolla of disc florets:

Color (mature).--14A, with tips 175B.

Color (immature).--12A, with tips 175B.

D. Reproductive organs:

Androecium.--Present on disc florets only; scant pollen.

Gynoecium.--Present on both ray and disc florets.

PLANT

A. General appearance:

Height.--81 to 97 cm when grown in Salinas with 11 long days prior tostart of short days; height is 94 to 112 cm when grown in Bogota with 7long days prior to start of short days.

B. Foliage:

Color (upper surface).--147A.

Color (under surface).--147B.

Shape.--see photograph.

I claim:
 1. A new and distinct Chrysanthemum plant named Yellow Coqueta,as described and illustrated.